1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a device for holding a candle that extinguishes a burning wick without mechanical or human interaction.
2. Description of the Related Art
Burning a candle presents an obviously safety hazard. Candles have an open flame burning from a wick and melted wax. The flame may overheat more wax than is needed to burn and cause the liquid hot wax to drip down from the top of the candle. If the dripping wax caught fire or if the candle tipped over indoors, a potential house fire could result.
Technology to improve the utilitarian aspects of burning a candle include various devices for holding a candle and automatically extinguishing the flame using mechanical means. Some devices attempt to automatically regulate the burning of a candle by using clamps or sharp edges, combined a moving or spring-loaded mechanism to cut off the burning wick when the wax candle burns down to a pre-set level. Some may snuff out the candle from lowering a device onto the burning wick once the candle recedes to a certain height. These mechanisms control the wick of the candle by loading a candle into either a spring-activated slide that cuts off the burning wick when the candle wax recedes below the trigger and releases the spring or attempt to extinguish the flame by a cup or plate above the candle that lowers down to the wick as the wax of the candle melts and burns away. However, these types of devices are subject to numerous problems and problematic assumptions. Spring-loaded clamps are assumed to work but may or may not close and cut the wick properly. The candle may burn lop-sided that either holds the mechanism open too long for the cutting part to properly extinguish the flame or will not allow a device to lower adequately and snuff out the flame.
Other candle holders attempt to extinguish a candle flame passively without using mechanized or spring-loaded slides against extinguish the wick. However, the prior devices create a potential fire hazard by not providing a passive candle extinguisher that provides an adequate enclosure around a burning candle so when the candle burns down, the flame is deprived of oxygen and extinguishes.
What is needed is a simple and reliable holder for a candle that consistently and automatically extinguishes the flame reliance on moving parts of mechanical extinguisher devices. The holder should extinguish a candle flame passively by the candle burning down into an enclosure that then suffocates the flame due to lack of oxygen.